Taft council approves county collection of refuse and sewer charges; assessment and chamber funding also approved

The Taft City Council on July 15 adopted resolutions authorizing the Kern County tax collector to collect refuse and street‑sweeping charges and standby charges for vacant commercial buildings, and separately to collect sewer charges and standby sewer charges, and approved assessment rates for Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District No. 1. The council also approved consent calendar items including payment of bills and a transient occupancy tax allocation to the Taft Chamber of Commerce.

The actions place refuse, street‑sweeping and sewer assessments on the county tax roll pursuant to the Health and Safety Code provision cited in the staff presentation (transcript reference: “section 54 73 et seq of the health and safety code”). Council staff also identified CEQA exemptions for the measures, citing the CEQA guidelines passages mentioned in staff remarks during the hearings (transcript reference: “section 15060(c)(3) and section 15378” as read aloud in the meeting).

Council opened each of the hearings for public comment and, seeing no speakers, closed them before taking votes. For the Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District No. 1 the city presented the engineer’s report received June 18, 2024, and said the partial assessment will remain at the same level as last year: $86.

Votes and outcomes - Resolution authorizing county collection of refuse and street‑sweeping charges and standby refuse/street‑sweeping charges: passed by roll call, 4–0. No public speakers. - Resolution authorizing county collection of sewer charges and standby sewer charges: passed by roll call, 4–0. No public speakers. - Resolution setting assessments for Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District No. 1 for fiscal year 2025–26 (engineer’s report, partial assessment $86): passed by roll call, 4–0. No public speakers. - Consent calendar (items 11–13): minutes of July 1, 2025 meeting; payment of bills (approximately $185,000); and allocation of 25% of transient occupancy tax to the Taft Chamber of Commerce for January–March 2025: approved on a single roll call, 4–0.

Council members who spoke during the votes characterized the measures as routine steps to ensure collection and to support downtown occupancy and maintenance. No formal motions listed a named mover or seconder in the public record; the clerk recorded the roll calls and the council recorded each item as passing on a 4–0 vote.

Why it matters Placing fees and special assessments on the county tax roll shifts collection responsibility to the Kern County tax collector and typically increases the municipality’s ability to collect unpaid balances. For property owners in the Landscape and Lighting Maintenance District, the partial assessment amount ($86) determines the annual charge that will appear on the property’s assessment roll. The transient occupancy tax allocation provides an operating subsidy to the local Chamber of Commerce for a specified quarter.

What the record shows (procedural notes) The staff presentations referenced specific code and CEQA guideline sections by number during the hearings; those citations were read into the record as part of staff introductions to each public hearing. Each hearing was opened for public comment; no members of the public addressed items 1–3 prior to council action. The consent calendar passed with no items removed for separate discussion.

Ending Clerk roll calls show the measures passed unanimously by the four council members present; Councilmember Chaviere was absent with notice. The city did not enter closed session that evening.